• Govt activates emergency response, mobilises funds and int’l experts
• Hospitals, private clinics placed on alert as contact tracing intensifies
• FG says no evidence of wider community transmission, rules out immediate restrictions on major gatherings
ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government has quarantined high-risk contacts of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola virus disease patient as part of intensified efforts to prevent the infection from spreading, while reporting signs of improvement in the patient’s condition.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this during a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, assuring Nigerians that the government was deploying available resources to contain the infection and prevent a wider outbreak, reports The Guardian.
Pate said the patient’s latest laboratory results indicated significant improvement, raising hopes of recovery, although he cautioned that the outcome remained uncertain.
He explained that the patient was asymptomatic when she arrived in Nigeria but developed symptoms a few days later, prompting health authorities to intensify contact tracing and containment measures.
According to the minister, contacts have been identified among people linked to the hospital where the patient received care, members of her household and individuals associated with a private medical facility she visited.
The contacts have been categorised according to their level of exposure, with those considered to be at high risk placed in designated quarantine facilities, while others have been isolated under public health supervision.
“She developed symptoms a few days after arrival, which we had shared before. We’ve traced the contacts, identified the contacts in the hospital, the domestic contacts, and the private clinic that she had attended. All those contacts have been categorised in risk levels, high risk and low risk.
“The high-risk contacts have been quarantined fully in a facility. The others have been isolated and we’re ensuring that the isolation is enforced, consistent with public health expert guidelines. We’ve activated the incident management system,” Pate said.
He explained that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) was coordinating the operational response under the International Health Regulations framework, working with the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Capital Territory authorities, Port Health Services and other relevant agencies.
The minister said the government was determined to establish the full extent of exposure, monitor potentially infected persons and interrupt every possible chain of transmission.
“We have one important case. We are trying to contain it so that it does not go out to the communities or become generalised. Hopefully, it will not get to that,” he said.
Pate added that there was no evidence at the time of the briefing that the infection had spread into the wider community.
Hospitals, private clinics on alert
The minister said hospitals across the country had been notified to prepare adequate bed capacity, isolation facilities and infection prevention and control measures.
He stressed that health workers were particularly vulnerable when treating suspected or confirmed cases and must strictly observe established safety protocols.
Pate also called for greater cooperation between public health authorities and private healthcare providers, noting that the patient had visited a private medical facility.
“The private sector is important, because as you saw, this case went to a private facility. In 2014, it was a private facility. So private practitioners of all kinds should also be sensitised and connected to the public health authorities,” he said.
Nigeria successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after the virus was introduced into the country by a Liberian-American traveller, Patrick Sawyer, who arrived in Lagos.
The outbreak led to infections among healthcare workers and other contacts before the country was declared free of Ebola transmission by the World Health Organisation. The experience established the importance of rapid identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health action.
Pate said Nigeria was drawing on its previous experience, existing surveillance systems, laboratory capacity and trained personnel to manage the current case.
He expressed confidence in the NCDC and the various agencies supporting the response, while acknowledging the importance of international technical assistance.
FG mobilises funds, international experts
The minister disclosed that the government had activated its incident management system and adopted a whole-of-government approach involving health authorities, aviation agencies and other institutions.
He said the government had briefed the Presidential Task Force on the outbreak and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, while the National Economic Council had also been informed.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu had authorised additional resources for the response, with funding provided to the NCDC and other domestic resources being mobilised to support containment activities.
Pate said international experts with experience in managing Ebola outbreaks had been engaged to complement local health authorities.
He added that Nigeria was working to deepen its understanding of the virus through genomic sequencing, which could provide additional information about the pathogen and help guide the response.
A meeting involving state commissioners of health and commissioners of information was also scheduled for Friday to strengthen coordination and promote consistent public communication across the country.
The minister said the government intended to ensure that all tiers of government shared accurate information and implemented appropriate measures as the situation evolved.
He maintained that Nigeria was not starting from scratch, citing its surveillance structures, laboratory capacity, trained personnel and experience managing previous public health emergencies.
No immediate restrictions on major gatherings
Addressing concerns about political campaigns, conferences and other major public gatherings, Pate said the government had not identified sufficient public health grounds to alter events already scheduled.
He said the decision was based on available evidence that the case remained contained, adding that the situation would be reviewed continuously.
“At this moment, there is no indication that requires us to alter the course of large gatherings that have been planned,” the minister said.
He, however, stressed that the position was not a blanket assurance that restrictions would never become necessary.
According to him, any future decision on public gatherings would be guided by scientific evidence, consultations with public health experts and assessments of the potential risks to Nigerians.
Pate also cautioned political actors against turning the outbreak into a partisan issue, insisting that public health emergencies required cooperation across political, ethnic and religious divides.
He urged political leaders to exercise restraint and allow scientific evidence and public health considerations to guide decisions.
The minister also appealed to journalists to report developments responsibly, rely on official and expert sources, and avoid circulating unverified information that could undermine public confidence.
FG urges calm, explains how Ebola spreads
Pate urged Nigerians not to panic but to cooperate with contact-tracing teams, comply with public health instructions and observe recommended hygiene practices.
He explained that Ebola is not an airborne disease and is primarily transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person, or through contaminated objects and materials.
He advised Nigerians to practise regular handwashing and avoid direct contact with the body fluids of anyone whose infection status is unknown.
The minister also urged healthcare workers to adhere strictly to infection prevention and control procedures when attending to patients.
He said the immediate priority remained identifying and monitoring all contacts, enforcing quarantine and isolation measures, and preventing the virus from spreading into communities.
The government, he added, would continue to adjust its response as new evidence emerged, with the aim of containing the confirmed case and preventing a wider outbreak.
